The present concern with preserving natural resources, and reducing environmental pollution, especially air pollution, has driven a demand for more efficient and less polluting systems and methods for providing mechanical energy, particularly rotating mechanical energy to propel motor vehicles. Such less polluting systems and methods will reduce the use of carbon based fuels, thereby preserving natural resources and reducing air pollution.
The storage and use of electrical energy has often been proposed and used as a less polluting system for propulsion of motor vehicles. However, practical battery size and weight has limited the travel of a vehicle between recharges of the battery. So called hybrid vehicles have been developed to address the travel limitation of battery powered vehicles. Internal combustion engines burning hydrogen have been proposed as a more efficient and less polluting system and method. As set forth in the publication by the Argonne National Laboratory: TranForm Vol. 6, No. 1, Argonne Engineers see in to the future of hydrogen internal combustion engines, Sep. 9, 2006. However, the risks presented by the storage of compressed hydrogen in a vehicle has been a serious drawback to implementing its use. That risk is increased as a greater quantity of hydrogen is carried on the vehicle so as to permit more extensive travel without the need for refueling. The process of refueling is also fraught with more danger than the current refueling with gasoline or diesel fuel.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an energy conversion system and method for providing vehicle propulsion which combines the advantages of an electromagnetically energized reciprocating motor that can be instantly refueled as opposed to a system that would require a charging period such as in an electric or hybrid vehicle thereby requiring extended down time or battery exchange.
Accordingly, it would also be desirable to provide an energy conversion system and method for providing vehicle propulsion, which combines the advantages of electromagnetically energized reciprocating motor a hydrogen powered internal combustion engine, batteries for the storage and delivery of energy, sulfuric acid as a fuel supplied to the batteries, and hydrogen as a fuel for the internal combustion engine, while providing for greatly reduced air pollution. Further, it would be desirable that the consumable materials, which must be carried on board the vehicle to produce the kinetic energy to drive the vehicle be readily stored in a safe manner and in sufficient quantity to provide a desired range of operation of the vehicle. As set forth in the previously mentioned article, Argonne Engineers see in to the future of hydrogen internal combustion engines, a hydrogen fuel engine will be close to 45% efficient as compared to the 25% efficiency of standard automobile engines.
It would also be desirable to provide lubrication, cooling and a fuel source to an electromagnetically energized reciprocating motor that has demonstrated weight advantages over a conventional electric motor. The horsepower to weight ratio of conventional electric motors requires that the weight of the motor increases as the horsepower increases to a greater extent than with a electromagnetically energized reciprocating motor. It would also be desirable to extend the available useful output of a battery by providing a method of recharging the battery during use. The efficiency of a conventional electric motor decreases as a load is placed on it compared to an electromagnetically energized reciprocating motor that creates more electrolysis of the electrolyte cooling the motor as a load is placed on it.